Study shows new brain connections form rapidly during motor learning
(PhysOrg.com) -- New connections begin to form between brain cells almost immediately as animals learn a new task, according to a study published this week in Nature. Led by researchers at the...
View ArticleStudy reveals the keys to the locomotion of snails
A research study has found evidence that suggests that the key to locomotion in snails stems from the animal's complex muscle movements, and not from its mucus, as had been previously thought. This...
View ArticleStudy of dragonfly prey detection wins PNAS Cozzarelli Prize
Paloma T. Gonzalez-Bellido, a postdoctoral scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) and her colleagues have been awarded a 2012 Cozzarelli Prize by the editorial board of the Proceedings of...
View ArticleMYO armband to muscle into computer control (w/ video)
(Phys.org) —"Wave goodbye to camera-based gesture control." That is the confident directive coming from a one-year-old Waterloo, Ontario, startup called Thalmic Labs. The company is prepared to ship...
View ArticleHuman arm sensors make robot smarter (w/ Video)
Using arm sensors that can "read" a person's muscle movements, Georgia Institute of Technology researchers have created a control system that makes robots more intelligent. The sensors send information...
View ArticleSpinal fluid proteins signal Lou Gehrig's disease
High levels of certain proteins in the spinal fluid could signal the onset of Lou Gehrig's disease, according to researchers. The discovery of these biomarkers may lead to diagnostic kits for early...
View ArticlePsychologists shed light on origins of morality
In everyday language, people sometimes say that immoral behaviours "leave a bad taste in your mouth". But this may be more than a metaphor according to new scientific evidence from the University of...
View ArticleResearchers isolate first 'neuroprotective' gene in patients with amyotrophic...
A genetic variant that substantially improves survival of individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, has been indentified by a consortium of researchers...
View ArticleJellyfish Robot Swims Like its Biological Counterpart
(PhysOrg.com) -- "Jellyfish are one of the most awesome marine animals, doing a spectacular and psychedelic dance in water," explain engineers Sung-Weon Yeom and Il-Kwon Oh from Chonnam National...
View ArticleFacial expressions show language barriers too
(PhysOrg.com) -- People from East Asia tend to have a tougher time than those from European countries telling the difference between a face that looks fearful versus surprised, disgusted versus angry,...
View ArticleArtificial muscles restore ability to blink, save eyesight
(PhysOrg.com) -- Surgeons from UC Davis Medical Center have demonstrated that artificial muscles can restore the ability of patients with facial paralysis to blink, a development that could benefit the...
View ArticleDisabled Japanese man begins robo-suit adventure
A disabled Japanese man on Friday embarked on an ambitious trip that will take him to a mediaeval French World Heritage site with the help of a cutting-edge robotic suit.
View ArticleTendons absorb shocks muscles won't handle
Anyone who has hiked down a mountain knows the soreness that comes a day or two after means the leg muscles have endured a serious workout. While the pain is real, it's not well understood how leg...
View Article1960s-era anti-cancer drug points to treatments for Lou Gehrig's disease
A long-used anti-cancer drug could be a starting point to develop new treatments for the incurable nerve disease known as Lou Gehrig's disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), scientists are...
View ArticleSingle gene has major impact on gaits in horses and in mice
Researchers at Uppsala University, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and their international collaborators have discovered a mutation in a single gene in horses that is critical for the...
View ArticleWorldwide patent for a Spanish stroke rehabilitation robot
Robotherapist 3D, a robot which aids stroke patients' recovery, is to be brought to market by its worldwide patent holder, a spin-off company from the Miguel Hernández University of Elche (Alicante,...
View ArticleStem cells + nanofibers = Promising nerve research
Every week in his clinic at the University of Michigan, neurologist Joseph Corey, M.D., Ph.D., treats patients whose nerves are dying or shrinking due to disease or injury.
View ArticleWaterfall-climbing fish use same mechanism to climb waterfalls and eat algae
Going against the flow is always a challenge, but some waterfall-climbing fish have adapted to their extreme lifestyle by using the same set of muscles for both climbing and eating, according to...
View ArticleResearcher finds a turtle eye muscle adapts to deal with obstructed vision
In a recent study published in The Journal of Comparative Neurology, Saint Louis University professor of pharmacological and physiological science Michael Ariel, Ph.D., reported surprising findings...
View ArticleWhy the long face? Horses and humans share facial expressions
Horses share some surprisingly similar facial expressions to humans and chimps, according to new University of Sussex research.
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